“To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law. To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law.” 1 Corinthians 9:20-21 (New American Standard Version)

When you say the word “recycle” in the United States, you are likely to evoke varied, but strong emotional responses among your listeners.

My earliest memories of recycling are positive.  It was my first source of income.  My brother and I would scour parks and beaches for aluminum cans that were thrown haphazardly on the ground (and sometimes tossed into the trash).  We left the public areas cleaner, and earned some pocket change to pay for our small expenses.

In America, recycling has become highly politicized because of a variety of factors (funding, role of government, etc.)  It has also become lumped together with a slew of other ideologies – some aligned with biblical values, others, not.  And here is the important point: When serving in a foreign culture, it is important not to project our cultural baggage into the culture we serve in.  As long as we don’t adopt sinful practices, we are free to “become” like the people we serve.  Recycling, in and of itself, is not a spiritual issue, or even a political hot button here in the Czech Republic.

Embracing recycling while we are here has caused us to rethink many of the cultural norms that we have in our home.  For instance, when we spill in the kitchen at home, we typically reach for a paper towel.  When we set the table, we typically place a paper napkin at each place setting.  Here we use a towel for spills, and grab a napkin only when needed.  These small changes make little difference in our lives, but do honor the Czechs and their culture which we have entered into.

While it is personally rewarding to me to see the recycled plastic and recycled paper bags filling up while the tiny trash can barely rises.  My real prayer is that by becoming more “Czech” in this way, we can better understand and minister to those we are here to serve.

Prayer Requests:

• Final meeting with our Czech ministry partners, and friends (for this part of the trip).
• Health for the Sandys in the Czech Republic, and the rest of the team as they prepare for travel to the Czech Republic
• That Doug has no more painful flare ups and that he is able to successfully pass his kidney stone
• Remaining details for Czech English camp as we work together with the Czech team.
• That Christ would be glorified in and through the partnership between Family Bible Church and Církve bratrské v Českém Těšíně (the Czech church) this summer.
• That the river does not overflow in town as the rains continue.  Praise that the rains have not been as heavy as expected.